The Cognitive Dissonance Theory
by Pearlgrl
Summary: California Institute of Technology is hosting the 100th Gala Dance. This event occurs once in 20 years. The guys are excited except Sheldon.
1. Chapter 1

**The Cognitive Dissonance Theory**

******Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** or any of its varied characters. **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** is a copyright of Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady.**

**Chapter 1**

"Leonard, I would like to stop listening to you now because your relationship with Penny does not interest me slightest bit and because I have an agenda; Paintball" said Sheldon. "Specifically, the NPPL California Tournament this weekend. Now, in order to function better as a fighting unit, I thought we should establish a chain of command. It goes without saying that I would out rank the three of you. But the question remains, by how much? Now, I don't see me as some four star general, back at HQ riding a desk and playing golf with the Secretary of Defense; but I also can't be Sergeant Cooper because that might lead you to think of me as a regular Joe."

Leonard gave a concerning look, "Sheldon as much as I love paintball, I think it's time we grow up and become more mature adults. You know, recently Penny suggested we should do more elegant things like going to a symphony concert or opera. She said they serve free wine during the intermission."

Sheldon rolled his eyes, "What's gotten to you? Since you came back from Stephen Hawking Expedition, all you talk about these days is Penny, Penny, Penny. For one thing I can assure you that I feel more comfortable just the way we are right now. Watching Star Trek, Star Wars, playing D&D… how much more in life do you want?"

Leonard, "Sheldon we are not getting any younger. The time is ticking and I want to start becoming more like a real man that Penny wants me to be. I don't know about you guys but watching reruns of Star Trek movies for the 185th time is kind of lame."

Sheldon gasps, "Leonard! Take that back!"

Howard, "Guys, Guys, 6 o'clock. Siebert is approaching."

Raj, "I wonder what he wants."

Leonard, "He doesn't seem happy so I'm guessing he wants to talk to Sheldon."

Siebert, "Dr. Cooper"

Leonard, "Told ya"

Sheldon, "Oh President Siebert. How may I help you on this fine day?"

Siebert, "Dr. Cooper for the millionth time, I beg you to please stop installing Suggestion Boxes everywhere."

Sheldon, "I'm sorry I thought I was doing something good in this universe. For example, some people might realize that they're not in matrix because of the disgusting food that the school cafeteria serves."

Siebert sighs. He debates in his head if he should keep conversing with Dr. Nutcase. He looks at his watch and decides to turn over to the guys. "Gentleman, I am sure you have heard already that our school is hosting the 100th Gala Dance. As you may know, this event occurs once in 20 years. The theme is "Above the City Lights". It is also an event where the fundraisers for the university gather so I appreciate if you could all attend this event."

Leonard smiles, "Now that sounds like something Penny and I could enjoy. Something new!"

Howard chuckles, "Yeah, by something new, getting wasted and embarrassing yourself with those dance moves of yours and pull your muscle accidentally."

Raj excited like a teenager, "Yes! I've been waiting for this event since the day I began working here. The tradition states that guys has to ask the girls to the dance. It's like high school prom all over again!"

Sheldon with a concern look on his face, "Now hold on, I believe the dance is on May 28th. That's the same day as the paintball tournament." Looks at Siebert with confidence. "We won't be attending the event."

Leonard, "Excuse me, I for once think this is an excellent event for myself and Penny. I would rather go to an event where Penny won't think of me as a… nerd."

Sheldon began being nervous, "Wha… Leonard, I've had the paintball scheduled for 2 months in advance. We can't just change our schedule."

Leonard with confidence, "Well, I'm going. I don't know about you guys but I think it's time we get out of our comfort zone and try something new for a change."

Raj, "I'm in!"

Howard, "I guess I could go too. Bernadette still has her prom dress from high school in her closet. I want to see her in that dress so that we could fool around afterwards. I'm not regretting slightest bit for not getting any during high school. She's just like my mother. Keeping a dress to remind herself that centuries ago… she was able to fit in them."

Siebert has a grossed out look like he just heard something disturbing. He states, "Well, I must head back to my office. I hope to see you all there. Good-bye Dr. Cooper, Dr. Hofstadter, Dr. Koothrappali… Mr. Wolowitz."

Howard rolls his eyes. He shouts "I have a Master's Degree!"

Siebert as he leaves, "Who doesn't!?"

* * *

"For the last time Sheldon my answer is no!" Leonard and Sheldon are walking side by side in the college hallway. From the look of Leonard's eyes, Sheldon could tell that Leonard was getting frustrated with Sheldon. Leonard was not going to let Sheldon win in this argument. He was determined to go to the dance with Penny no matter what.

"How could you betray paintball with some other ball," said Sheldon disappointed.

"Look, why don't you just join us to the dance. Take Amy with you"

Sheldon has a surprised look on his face. His eyes widened and gasped, "Amy? Why should I take Amy to the event which I, myself, have no interest in going whatsoever?"

Leonard took a deep breath trying to not kill the man who thinks of himself as a genius. "Because she is your girlfriend Sheldon!" He rushes over to his lab and closes the door before Sheldon could come in.

"That's rude," said Sheldon quietly. With Leonard gone, he decides to go back to his office. While on the way, his mind starts to think about what Leonard had mentioned. Taking Amy to the dance. When he thought about this in a logical way, taking a girlfriend as a date made sense but something about this made him feel uncomfortable.

"Amy…" Sheldon took a deep breath and exhaled. He thought to himself, _what if something happens. We've been together for almost 3 years now. Our relationship is moving faster than I expected. I had to put vapoo rub on her chest, play D&D with her in my bedroom, and sing her Soft Kitty. She would always smile at me. I would've never imagined us being so… _Sheldon suddenly realized that he was smiling unintentionally. _What was I just smiling about… Was I even smiling?_

He arrives at his office door. He shakes his head trying to shake off his thought about Amy. He opens the door and sees Alex.

"Hello Dr. Cooper. I just finished your pile of _A Proof that Algebraic Topology Can Never Have a Non-Self-Contradictory Set of Abelian Groups_ from when you were five years old."

"Thank you, Alex," said Sheldon. He walks toward his desk and sits on his chair.

Alex glances at him to check if he is busy. He seems to be reading one of his papers. She takes all her courage and asks him, "Dr. Cooper, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Yes Alex, what is it?"

"I was wondering, since the ball is coming up. Who is going to the dance with Dr. Hofstadter?"

Sheldon raised his brows. "I believe, Leonard is taking his current girlfriend, Penny."

"I see."

Sheldon sees the disappointment in her face. She turns around and goes back to categorizing Sheldon's notebook. Sheldon was curious to why Alex was disappointed._  
_

Sheldon thinks for a minute.

He grins.

"Alex, would you like to be my date to the dance?"


	2. Chapter 2

**The Cognitive Dissonance Theory**

**********Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** or any of its varied characters. **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** is a copyright of Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady.**

**Chapter 2**

"I'm sorry what?" Alex all confused. She was convinced she definitely heard something wrong.

"You and me, as a date. Dining, dancing, perhaps you'd like hear about my new work?" said Sheldon as he got up from his chair, walking towards Alex.

"Dr. Cooper I don't know if that's appropriate." Alex searched for words. She would've given away anything to get out of this awkward conversation.

"Alex, I'm not trying to -as our generation calls it- "hook up" with you," Sheldon continues to walk towards her "I simply want you to be my date to the dance. In other words, you won't be anything more than a dance partner at the ball."

"But Dr. Cooper, I simply do not wish to go with you in any circumstances," Alex took a step back.

"I see. Then since you will not be attending the ball I will assume that you are free on that day." Sheldon walks towards the pile of notebook on the floor. "I expect you to completely finish proof-reading this pile of my diary that I've kept record of since I was three years old."

"Impressive Dr. Cooper, what are the records mainly about?" Alex takes one of the notebook in hand.

"My bowel movements." Alex drops the notebook in disgust. "If you turn the pages from the back of the notebook, I kept records of its color, texture, and smell." Sheldon turns around and sits on his chair. "I expect a report on all these 50 notebooks that my mother had sent me to be done by the day after the ball."

Sheldon crosses his arms and looks at Alex like he had just won an argument.

"On the second thought, I do not mind going to the dance with you Dr. Cooper"

* * *

_I kissed a girl and I liked it. It tasted like cherry…_ Amy takes her phone and answers it, "Whaddup bestie!" Amy was in her lab coat. She was dissecting a brain, looking for yet another tumor.

"Hey Ames, I was wondering since you've been working so hard these couple weeks, I think we should get together tonight! Are you up for a Girl's Night?" says Penny very excitedly.

"Oh I don't know bestie, I'm a little busy working on …." Amy sees something in the brain and gets close.

"Ames? You there?"

She suddenly screams "YES! Helloooo tumor."

"Amy focus! I called you today because we actually need to talk about what's been going on. Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well aren't you mad that Sheldon is taking Alex to the ball?"

"Sheldon is taking… What ball?"

"Amy, honey, you need to come to my apartment tonight."

At first she was confused and didn't understand what was happening at the moment but soon came to her senses. She took off her coat, grabbed her purse, and walked out of the lab at exactly by 5PM.

* * *

"Sheldon, you got him in your sights! Fire! He's charging his plasma rifle!" shouted Howard.

"I can't shoot now, I'm cloaking," said Sheldon.

"Now, Raj! Kill Sheldon!" shouted Leonard.

"I can't see him!" Raj starts to panic.

"That's why they call it cloaking, dead man," Sheldon starts to concentrate really closely.

"Well then start throwing grenades!" Leonard starts to panic as well.

"I'm all out!" Raj cries.

Raj and Leonard drops their controller and admits their defeat in the game of Halo 3. Sheldon gives Howard his _well-done_ looks. The guys are at Sheldon and Leonard's apartment, bonding like most days. Sheldon was sitting at his usual spot.

Leonard walks toward the refrigerator and grabs the water bottle. Leonard pauses for a minute and looks around the room. He saw Raj eating his 2nd cake of the day. Sheldon was still holding his game controller ready for the second round. Howard was eating Doritos chips. He brushes the crumbs off of his shirt. Sheldon sees what Howard had done and tells him to pick up the crumbs and throw it away. Howard groans but gives up and starts to pick the crumbs off the carpet.

Leonard goes back to his couch. He asks, "So guys, we never really talked about the ball after President Siebert came to us during lunch last week. Have you guys decided who you're going to take to the dance?"

Raj smiles, "I'm thinking about asking Lucy to the ball! Even though she has fear of crowd I think it'll be okay if she goes with me. Oh and I'm going to ask her to the ball by putting candles outside of her house. It'll say "Will you go to the dance with me?" I'll tell her she can leave whenever she wants!" Leans over towards Howard, "remind me to lock all the windows in the school bathroom. I don't want her running away." All the guys stare at Raj for a second.

Howard breaks the awkward moment, "I already talked with Bernadette. She told me that she has been going on a diet so that she could fit into the dress without any problem. Last night when she tried it on for the first time in 15 years, she couldn't fit into them. She started crying and I went up to her to comfort her and I might've referenced my mother… now she isn't talking to me."

"Howard, you should go home and tell her you're sorry, that's the last thing any girl wants to hear from their husband," said Leonard with a concerned look on his face.

Lastly, he looks over to Sheldon. "So Sheldon, did you talk with Amy about the ball?"

"I haven't told her."

"Well aren't you taking her? The ball is in few days. Girls need some time to get prepared for the ball," said Leonard with a concerning tone.

"She doesn't need one. I'm not taking her"

Guys stare at Sheldon with a surprised look on their face.

"What… What are you saying Sheldon?!" said Leonard looking straight at Sheldon's face seeking for answers.

"Sheldon, aren't you dating her. If she isn't the one you're going with, I don't know who you are allowed to take." Howard didn't really care but went with it anyways.

"Yeah dude, that's really low" said Raj with a stern look on his face.

"Gentleman, I did not say I don't have a date. I have a date but it's not Amy," Sheldon gets up on his feet and walk towards the refrigerator.

Just when Leonard was about to ask who Sheldon was taking to the dance, the door slams open. It was Penny, Bernadette, and Amy.

Amy steps forward, "Sheldon, we need to talk."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Cognitive Dissonance Theory**

**********Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** or any of its varied characters. **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** is a copyright of Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady.**

**Chapter 3**

"Sheldon, I just heard from Penny... Is this really true? Are you seriously considering taking Alex to the dance?"

Her voice came out a little shaky. Amy was almost in tears.

"Amy, I have already considered it and asked her to the dance…Why are you crying?" Sheldon was confused.

_Why is she crying? Is she crying because of me? What did I do?_

Sheldon took a step forward but Amy took a step back.

Amy tries to hold her tears, "Sheldon… what about me? I'm your girlfriend; wouldn't it make more sense if I go with you?"

Sheldon was startled. "Amy, can we talk about this in private?"

Amy stared at Sheldon. She waited for his answer, but he avoided it.

"You're a coward!" Amy stormed out of the apartment. Raj and Howard stayed still. Penny's jaw dropped. Leonard raised his brows. They were all stunned.  
For few seconds, everyone stood still. Not saying a word.

But Penny broke the silence. "You know, for a guy who thinks of himself as a genius, he can be very wrong sometimes." Penny turned around and left.

"Good job buddy." Leonard followed her without looking back at Sheldon.  
Bernadette kept her eyes on Sheldon. With a furious voice she yelled, "Howard, let's go home! And you too Raj!" Howard groaned, "Fine Maa, I MEAN Bernadette!" They walked out.  
Sheldon was now alone in the apartment. He felt his body shiver. The silence seemed to turn the heat down. Sheldon stood there, stunned. He dropped his head down slowly. Trying to comprehend what had just happened...

_Amy, why was she crying? Am I the reason? Why is everyone making such a big deal about the dance? Her face… did I make her feel like that? Oh damn, I need to be designing an experiment to look for the annihilation spectrum resulting from dark matter collisions in space… what's the big deal about dance?_

Sheldon was breathing heavily; air seemed to be heavier than usual. He felt angry. There were so many questions in his head. He couldn't answer them all. The frustration started to drive him nuts.

But then, all of his thoughts cleared up. All the anger he had turned to sadness.

_She said I was a coward._

Sheldon closed his eyes.

With a soft voice he said, "The evidence does support that..."

* * *

The guys are in school cafeteria. Sheldon walked up to the table and sat on one of the unoccupied seat.

He looked around. All the guys were gazing at their food.

Sheldon inhaled and said, "Hey."

Raj replied first, "Hey"

Howard went along; "Hey"

Leonard looked up and gave him a nod, "Hey."

There was an awkward silence. Sheldon looked at Howard who was playing with his pudding.

"Did you know that Tapioca is extracted from the root of the plant Manihot Esculenta? Due to a high concentration of cyanide it is poisonous in its raw form and lethal if prepared improperly. It is also indigenous to Brazil, as is the Cocoa Bean, from which we get choco…" "SHELDON!" Leonard interrupted. "Do you remember what happened with you and Amy last night?"

"Of course I do, I have an eidetic memory as I've told you many times. Most recently, last year during lunch on the afternoon of September 23rd. You had Chinese food and complained it was too greasy," Sheldon ranted.

Before Leonard could scold Sheldon, Alex approached the guys.

"Hello Dr. Hofstadter! And Dr. Cooper."

"Hi Alex." Leonard replied with a smile.

Alex melted in the gleam of Leonard's smile. Sheldon gave her a questionable look and she snapped back to reality.

"Uh, so Dr. Cooper since we are going to the dance as a partner, I think you should know that my dress is blue."

"Why should I know that?"

"Because our outfit should match. Please wear a blue vest and a necktie to the dance."

"Ah, I guess now that I am your so-called "date" to the dance, is that the sort of nagging I have to expect?"

Alex looked at Sheldon and gradually started to walk away. Alex turned around and whispered, "I'm regretting this already."

* * *

_The distance from the Earth to the Sun is approximately 149,600,000 km. The distance from the Earth to the moon is approximately 384,400 km. The distance from Pasedena, California to Houston, Texas is 2486.76 km. The distance from California Institute of Technology to my apartment is 14.806 km. The distance from my apartment to… Darn, I think I did the math wrong._

Sheldon was pacing around in his office. He has papers stacked on his desk; Sheldon knew those had to be finished before tomorrow morning.

_Dear lord I cannot seem to concentrate today. All I could think is Amy, since lunch. Why did Leonard have to remind me of her? Oh, what has that vixen done to me? And how do I make it stop?_

Sheldon's breathing became more rapid. He continued pacing around the office, back and forth.

_If I talk to her, would this stupidity end? But what do I say? Oh boy, my time is much too valuable. I don't have time for this nonsense. I am a man of science, not someone's little boy._

Sheldon looked at his desk. He saw the amount of work that needed to be done.

He let out a long sigh and walked up to his desk and grabbed his phone.

Sheldon texted Amy.

"_Amy, I believe our previous conversation was inconclusive. Further explanation is essential_._ Please visit my office tonight around 8pm or after work. I would like to make something clear."_

* * *

*Noisy Ricky the monkey in background*

"Oh for the love of God, they were out of menthols!"

Amy felt exhausted. She had dark circles under her eyes, and every sound Rickey made gave her headaches. She has been feeling nauseous since the morning. Amy was in no mood for work.

"I regret getting wasted with every fiber of my being," said Amy as she carved the brain. The smell of the brain made her even worse.

Just when Amy thought things can't get any worse, she received a text. It was from Sheldon.

"Wow, what now."

She read the text.

… _I would like to make something clear._

Amy dropped her head on the table. She closed her eyes.

_Oh gosh Sheldon, I am in no mood to see anyone right now._

But deep inside her heart, she felt pathetic. Last night she yelled at a bartender about Sheldon, her boyfriend, being an ass. Amy knew she needed an explanation.

Amy grabs her phone again and texted back, "Okay".

**A/N: Thanks for reading Chapter 3 of The Cognitive Dissonance Theory! The next chapter will be up very soon. :) Please leave a Review! Tell me what you think so far. Do you like it or why not? I'm very interested in what you think!**

*****And just to clarify, I am trying my best to write all the characters in character but if it seems out of character to you... well... I'm sorry, I tried! This is my first Fanfic so I'm a newbie.*****

**I would like to thank Sheps88 (the author of The Vegas Interpretation), my girl, MJistheBOMB,**** and my best friend Yimmy for helping me write this. Without your support, I never would have wrote this fanfic. Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Cognitive Dissonance Theory**

**************Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** or any of its varied characters. **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** is a copyright of Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady.**

**Chapter 4**

The day was dark.

Amy parked her car in the visitor's spot. She could not believe that they charged her five dollars to park.

_Sheldon better make this visit worth five bucks._

Amy stepped outside of her car and entered Caltech. She went through the familiar hallways.

Just when she arrived at the hallway that leads straight to Sheldon's room. She saw Alex coming out of his room. Amy startled.

_What should I do?! What should I say? Should I be mad? Do I hate her? Oh God, do I have to say "hi"…_

Amy looked right and left to see if she could hide herself. _Nope._

Alex and Amy were now walking toward each other.

Amy gave up trying to think all this through and casually said, "Hello"

Alex, for some reason did not recognize who Amy was. She greeted back politely and walked past her.

_What the hell was that? _

She felt herself blush, feeling stupid. But Amy didn't stop; she continued walking towards Sheldon's room.

When she got to the door she reached for the door knob but her body froze.

_I really hope this conversation goes well. I don't want to cry again… no more. I believe in him… What if he breaks up with me… _Amy's heart thumped. She felt as though her heart had fallen on the ground. She shook her head and took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._

Amy opened the door.

Sheldon stood up, "Amy, you're here."

_Woah, did a hurricane blow through here?!_

Amy looked around the room. The room was more than a little messy. Stacks of papers and files were everywhere; on the desk and even on the floor.

Amy startled, "Hello… Sheldon, what happened to this place?"

Sheldon pushed his chair in and looked straight at Amy's face. It seemed like Sheldon was finally crazy, the mess in the room provided the evidence. If he was normal, he would've cleaned this place before it got this messy. Not only the room but his hair was going all directions, his t-shirt was not straightened out, and had dark circles under his eyes. Amy, right off the bat noticed that Sheldon was not himself. _What has gotten to him?_

"Uh yes, the room, uh… it will be cleaned as soon as I finish writing a report on this research."

"Sheldon, we can talk later if you're busy." Amy took steps backward and reached for the door knob.

"No! Stay Amy," Sheldon grabbed her wrist quickly. Amy turned and looked at him. She was surprised.

_Sheldon… is touching me for the first time this week… _

For some odd reason, Amy started to feel very emotional. She missed the warmth of Sheldon's hands, smell, and blue eyes that reflected innocence. But the feeling disappeared when Sheldon noticed that he had grabbed Amy's wrist. He flinched, dropped her arm, hid his hands in his pocket, and took couple steps back.

"Amy, the reason why I asked Alex to be my date is because…"

Amy was frustrated that he abruptly dropped her wrist. She interrupted Sheldon, "Yes Sheldon, I want a decent explanation and an apology that will soothe my soul."

"Please, Amy. Let me finish…" His voice got quieter. Sheldon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"… because I am afraid."

"Afraid of what Sheldon?!" The tone of his voice made Amy apprehensive. "Sheldon, please tell me. I'm your girlfriend. I want to know… I want to know how I make you feel."

Sheldon opened his eyes. He put his arms behind his back and started walking around like a professor giving a lecture.

"Amy, all my life, I have been uncomfortable with the sort of physical contact that comes easily to others, hand-shaking, hugging, prostate exams. In other words, I don't like when things change. There's a reason why Relationship Agreement exists between us. Not only to bind us but to state what is okay and what is not; skewed in my favor. But I make exceptions and sacrifice myself sometimes for your sake, you know? Just recently, I had to put VapoRub on your chest, help you take a shower, and play D&D with you in my bedroom. Three years ago, that would have been unthinkable," said Sheldon. His gaze locked on Amy.

"Sheldon, you're not answering my question," Amy was starting to heat up. "Why are you not taking me to the dance as your date?"

"I see, I take it that you fail to see my logic. Amy, at the gala event, all the participants are expected to dance. That means there will be unnecessary touching and forced socialization."

Amy cooled herself down.

_I will only look like a fool if I act based on my emotions. I should be logical._

Amy brought her gaze up to Sheldon, "Let me help you Sheldon. Just don't push me away. I want to help you. That's what I'm here for."

"But Amy, how?"

"Well, what you are experiencing is fear and hostility towards physical contact. Why don't we initiate an experiment?"

"I'm listening,"

Amy succeeded in interesting him.

"At the dance, partners are expected to hold on to each other's hands and move according to the rhythm of the music. In many cultures, dance, is a form of emotional expression and social interaction. Therefore, you should think of dance as a form of art. In this experiment, we will engage in casual physical contact but I will lead and you will tell me if you like it or not. I'm doing this so that you could familiarize yourself."

"Still sounds like unnecessary touching. But I suppose it doesn't sound that bad."

"But before we do, you need to know that the whole point of this experiment is for you to enjoy, not fear."

"Very well," Sheldon nodded.

"Alright, let's start shall we?"

Amy tried to hide her smile by biting her lips.

_Sheldon is allowing me to touch him. I hope I'm not dreaming. This day just got so much better. Now let's see how far I could take this…_

Amy took a step forward. Sheldon stayed still. Amy took his hands.

_Step one: hold hands. Phew that was scary…_

She slowly leaned in and gave him a peck on his cheek. She checked on Sheldon. He seemed to be curious on what she'll do next. She took it was okay for her to kiss him again but this time Amy wanted to kiss him on the lips. Amy brought both of her hands up to Sheldon's cheek and pulled him in gently for a kiss. Slowly, she opened her eyes and checked on Sheldon. She had to make sure he was okay. The last thing she wanted was him unconscious.

Amy noticed that he had a slight fear in his eyes.

_Oh crap, I need to calm him down._

"Sheldon, think of some place nice, like a train station or a museum. Closing your eyes might help."

Sheldon obeyed Amy. He closed his eyes. He smiled like a child.

_Damn, I bet whatever he is imagining is a lot nicer than here… And is that his koala face?_

Amy was a little offended at first but after seeing Sheldon's childish face, it only aroused her. She decided to take advantage of this situation. Amy went in for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck to go for a deeper kiss. Amy opened her mouth trying to put her tongue but Sheldon had his lips shut.

"Sheldon, relax." Amy brought her hands down and started touching his stomach and his back. Amy heard Sheldon pant and noticed that he was holding back his voice.

Amy pulled Sheldon closer to her; she heard his heart rate.

As Sheldon was told, he began to relax, letting all the tension in his body go. He finally opened his mouth allowing Amy's tongue to go in. This was the first time she had tasted Sheldon. He tasted like mint candy. Amy angled her head and gently sucked on his lips. Then she released it leaving the sensation on his lips and dove back in.

Amy noticed that Sheldon's hands were inaction. He didn't know what to do.

"Touch me, Sheldon" Amy's hot breath reached Sheldon's neck. She began kissing him on his neck. Sheldon's neck was very soft and smelled like soap. She sucked on his skin until it reddened. Amy did this all over his neck. The sensation of Amy kissing his neck made it harder for Sheldon to concentrate on his imagination.

Sheldon brought his hands up slowly. He placed his hands on Amy's back and scratched down; Amy shuddered.

_How did he do that?! I see, so that's how you want to play. I think you will like this…_

Amy reached for Sheldon's ear. She took his earlobe between her teeth and lightly bit down. "Guh!" Sheldon moaned, his body stiffed against her.

_Hoo_

All this waiting had driven Amy nuts. She waited almost three years for this. She didn't want to stop now. This was everything she ever wanted.

Amy was kissing his neck again. Their bodies were tightly touching each other. Amy moved around little by little causing friction between them. Then Amy felt his erection between her legs. She was convinced this experiment was a success. She placed her right leg between his legs.

Sheldon suddenly felt the electric current of sensations travelling through his nerves.

"Amy… sto… stop… I…" Sheldon was panting heavily, gasping for air. He noticed that he couldn't think straight. He was now breathing just to stay conscious.

Amy acted as though she didn't hear him. She was busy devouring Sheldon. But Amy noticed that Sheldon wasn't breathing right when she went for a kiss. Amy saw that he was having a panic attack. She finally stopped all her actions and looked into his eyes. His blue eyes were so dilated with desire that they were nearly black. His lips had turned red; now swollen and bleeding a little because Sheldon accidentally bit down or Amy must've bit him when she was kissing him hard.

Amy saw tears coming down his face. Her mind went blank. Sheldon was still gasping for air but trying to calm down.

"Amy, I can't do this! I just… I just can't!" Sheldon stormed out of his room.

He shut the door loudly enough to shock Amy back to reality.

Amy couldn't process what had just occurred. She began being mad at herself for losing control.

_Damn it! I took it too far. Now he will never let me touch him. Why didn't I stop? Stupid brain._

The room was silent. Amy felt guilt and remorse. Without Sheldon by her side now, she felt empty and cold.

Amy looked around the room.

_Wow this place is really messy, how did he get it this messy in one day?_

There were no signs of Sheldon coming back anytime soon. Amy started picking up papers and files. Within ten minutes, she cleaned up the entire room.

She went over to Sheldon's chair and sat down. There were nothing she could do now to take her mind off. Took a deep breath and sighed.

"Should've taken my breasts out when I had the chance," said Amy.

**A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 4! Please leave a review! Let me know what you thought about. I want to know what you liked or what you didn't like. I am open to suggestions as well! The next chapter will be up sooner than you think ;)**

**I'm having a blast writing this story. Thank you for reading The Cognitive Dissonance Theory! **


	5. Chapter 5

**The Cognitive Dissonance Theory**

******************Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** or any of its varied characters. **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** is a copyright of Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady.**

**Chapter 5**

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh dear."

Sheldon was sprinting to the men's bathroom. His heart was pounding against his chest.

_Dear Lord, I feel like I'm about to burst._

As Sheldon tackled the bathroom door, Leonard saw Sheldon going in. Leonard came up from the lab to see if Sheldon needed a ride home.

_What's gotten into him now?!_

Leonard sighed. He followed Sheldon to the bathroom.

* * *

_8:58PM_

Amy was still sitting on Sheldon's chair, waiting. She stared at the clock in his office.

_I guess I should head home…_

Clearly, Amy didn't want to leave. But after how Sheldon reacted, she could take a hint that he did not want to see her anymore tonight.

_It's so funny how reality doesn't go as you imagined it to be._

Amy sadly chuckled.

* * *

*splash* The cold water felt amazing against his face. Sheldon took a deep breath. The water was dripping from his face. The paper towel dispenser was empty. The janitor must've forgotten to reload yesterday. His t-shirt was now soaked from the water that dripped from his face.

_The water is colder than I remember… I hope this water is clean. Oh who am I kidding, this school is like the bellybutton of Pasadena._

Sheldon was too much in his head that he didn't notice the door opening.

"Sheldon? You okay there buddy?"

Sheldon was taken by surprise. His eyes shot straight to the door. He saw Leonard leaning on the door. Sheldon's eyes grew wide open because a wave of embarrassment suddenly hit him. He quickly turned his back on Leonard. He didn't want Leonard to know what happened to him, or what just happened. Something like this, Sheldon wanted to keep it private. He noticed that Leonard was beginning to be suspicious of his abnormal behavior, he raised his gaze up.

Sheldon noticed his image in the mirror in front of him. He saw a man with reddened cheek, dilated pupil, messed up hair, bags under his eyes, swollen and bleeding lips, and unfamiliar red marks on his long slender neck. Surprised with how the man on the mirror reflected how he looked, Sheldon took a step back, startled. _What happened to me?_

"Alright, Sheldon what happened. You look like some washed up boy."

"I don't want to talk about it." Sheldon's voice cracked.

"Sheldon, I'm worried about you. You've been working hard these days. You've barely slept or eaten; and I know this because you get up in the middle of the night to get warm milk more than usual."

"… Three times last night." Sheldon corrected.

"Three, four, my point is I'm concerned. Not to mention that when you're like this, you're crankier than usual… I guess it's not much of a difference but my point is something is not okay. Let me make a guess, this all has to do with Amy?"

Sheldon looked at him surprised. _How did he know?!_

Leonard let out a sigh. He knew he hit the jack pot.

"Come on Sheldon, let's go home. It's getting late."

"But I have to finish my paper by this weekend."

"Research can wait, you're a genius you can finish it before Friday."

"I guess…" Sheldon nodded. For some reason, Sheldon found Leonard's words comforting. They both started walking off.

"Let's get you fixed up first."

* * *

_Penny: Hey Ames, are you ready for another round of Girl's Night?_

_Amy: Are we playing truth or dare? If we are, I don't wish to go._

_Penny: No, we won't don't worry. After whatever happened with you and me, my instinct tells me to not play that game ever again._

_Amy: What! Don't tell me you don't remember?_

_Penny: I drank enough that day to forget whatever happened I wanted to forget. So are you up for it?_

_Amy: I don't know bestie… things aren't going well as I thought between me and Sheldon._

_Penny: Uh, hello? That's what Girl's Night is for. Alright it's settled then. Bernadette will bring popcorn and I'll get wine. Alright?_

"… Ugh those girls, they just want to know everything about me and Sheldon." Amy groaned. She put her cellphone back in her purse. As Amy was walking back to her car, she debated whether or not to go see Sheldon again; after all, she was still around the corner. Instead, she kept walking towards the exit.

_Why is it so hard to talk to him about my feelings? I know all English words and definitions in the dictionary, yet when I see him, I forget all of them. Hmm… weird… I should probably put down all the erotica I've been reading and start re-reading Webster Dictionary on nightly bases. _

"Oh wook, who do we have hewe."

Amy was surprised that she had not noticed that someone was behind her. She quickly turned towards the voice. She saw a man with a wrinkled t-shirt, unzipped hoodie, sandals, jeans, and hair that seemed to have never been combed.

"Um, do I know you?" The man was looking down at her. Amy took a step back; he was standing way too close to her.

"You must be Amy Fawwah Fowwew!"

"Yes, I am but I don't recognize you. Have we met before?"

"Ah! I'm Kwipke. I wowk with youw boyfwiend."

"Oh! Yes, I know you very well Kripke. Sheldon has shared with me about your work in the field of physics."

"Oh weawwy? What did he say?"

"Well Sheldon being Sheldon, he undoubtedly relays how he outsmarts other Theoretical Physicists in the university which I, of course believe. No offense."

"Weww I'm not supwised. Say Amy, I heawd that Shewdon didn't ask you to the dance."

"No, he didn't… How did you know that?" Amy was surprised that Kripke knew about it.

"Evewyone in the univewsity is tawking about the dance these days and who's going with who. Us theowetical physicists awe famous so we get asked a wot by the guwws." Kripke showed off his confidence to Amy but she seemed to be thinking about something else in her head.

_I guess most people know about this. Damn it Sheldon, this makes me look like a sore loser._

"Why did he ask Awex?"

"Wish I knew." Amy sighed.

Kripke saw the sadness in her face. Amy displayed a fake smile to keep the conversation as pleasant as possible but her emotions betrayed her.

"You know. I don't have a date eithew." Kripke leaned forward.

Amy looked up to meet his gaze. She was confused.

"Are you saying you want to go with me?"

Kripke felt embarrassment and looked away from her. He never asked a girl to a dance before except the time in high school when he was rejected by his friend on the math team. Kripke met her eyes and noticed that her eyes were emerald-like-green. He was drawn into her eyes.

_Wow, Amy is hot. I'd tap that._

"Uewh, I guess. Yes, awe you intewested?"

* * *

Sheldon found himself standing in front of a mirror again but this time at the familiar one in his apartment bathroom.

"Hey Sheldon, I'm going to shower in the morning so you can shower now if you want!" Leonard shouted across the hall.

"Leonard! Are you telling me to break the routine? You know I can't do that! According to the Roommate Agree…"

"You can break the routine, you just dislike changes!"

"Sir, I don't want this onetime event to lead to a permanent easement."

Leonard came into the bathroom with his coffee. He saw Sheldon checking his neck in the mirror.

"Looks like Amy got a little rough on you."

"A LITTLE?! No, she almost took control over me!"

Leonard grinned and nudged him on his arm.

"Come on, you're a guy. You must've enjoyed it a little."

Sheldon stared at him with haughty derision.

"Leonard, why must you go there?" Sheldon looked back at the mirror. He looked more closely at the red marks around his neck and tried touching them with his fingers.

"What are you doing?"

"These red marks, I don't know what happened to my neck!"

"You gotta be kidding me." Leonard stopped drinking his coffee and lowered his mug.

Sheldon ignored what Leonard said.

"I researched every single medical condition that matched my symptoms but none of diagnoses seemed fit. It could be that I had some allergic reaction to something I came in physical contact with earlier today that I might have not noticed; or maybe it could be…"

"Sheldon, THAT'S A HICKEY."

Sheldon startled, he puzzled, looking back at Leonard.

"A hickey? I remember Amy asking for one last week but she never explained it to me."

Leonard was surprised to know that Sheldon Cooper didn't know what hickey was.

"Uh… Well… Okay, hickey is what you have on your neck. When your lover gives you one it usually symbolizes possessiveness or marking of territory. Penny gave one to me when your assistant Alex was hitting on me couple months ago." Leonard was grinning like it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"So how did you get them? Or how did I get them today?"

"You probably got it from Amy when she su… Oh God, why am I the one telling you this? Go look it up online yourself. I'm going to sleep. Good night Sheldon."

Leonard left the bathroom and walked toward his room. Sheldon went back to checking his neck. He counted how many there were on him. Five. Five hickeys were on his neck. One was beginning to discolor, the beginning signs of a bruise. He touched it to check if his assessment was correct. Upon touch a sharp pain ran through him.

_Ow! Ugh! How am I supposed to walk in the public with these marks? What did you do to me Amy?_

Sheldon sighed, gave up looking at his neck. Now he just wanted to get his night tasks over with; take a shower, wash off his sweat from today and jump into bed. He groaned, _why can't Leonard keep the routine? I guess today is just not in favor of me._

Sheldon took off his blue DNA t-shirt and dropped his navy pants. Before getting in the tub, he turned the shower on for hot water and laid his adhesive duck mat in the tub. He made sure to check the temperature of the water with a thermometer and waited till it was set and stabilized at the right temperature he wanted it to be before stepping in.

First, he started with his hair; one quirt of shampoo and conditioner. Next, he held the soap in his hand and started from his stomach, moving onto the arms, and then to his neck. _Ow!_ He accidentally touched the bruised part of his neck.

_Dear lord, I can't even take a shower without being reminded of Amy… I wonder what she is doing right now. I never got to see her after I went to the bathroom. When I got back she wasn't in my office. I didn't find Amy anywhere but for some reason my office was clean. Must've been Alex. I told her to clean it up before nine o'clock. She's nowhere near my intelligence but she does follow my instructions well. _

This time Sheldon gently washed his neck. After he was done with lathering, he let the warm water hit his neck.

_Amy… her lips were warm and soft. She smelled like soap. She kept telling me to relax. I'm relaxed now Amy. When I'm alone, I can be relaxed. But I can't be like this when you're around. You challenge me. You make me…_

A sudden notion struck Sheldon. He shook his head hoping to get his mind off. His eyes were beginning to feel heavy. He dropped his head down and let the water hit his head.

_I'm exhausted, I need a massage. I remember Amy teaching me once. With my right hand, I have to locate the spot where the scapula meets the acromion process... Then push with third finger along the ridge of the shoulder blade, making a small rotation to find the myofascial point. And I have to put pressure… ugh!_ _It hurts! Why does it hurt? I must be doing it wrong… I need her to teach me again… _

Sheldon still kept the shower running. The water continued raining on his head

_Amy… she's mine. I want us to go back to the way we were before. I miss our magical six-and-a half hour silence, Counter-Factuals, and filming Fun with Flags._

"We can still do them together Sheldon."

Sheldon startled. He thought he had heard Amy's voice. But no one was in the shower except him. He was confused to where the voice came from but mostly had hard time believing what his subconscious had told him.

_What do you mean 'We can still do them together'? That's absurd. Amy doesn't want all of that now. She wants me to engage in coitus. Why can't it just stay the way it is? I don't want her to touch me. When she touches me I can't think. Dancing with her will just give her more hope, even though I can't change. I'm not the kind of man she thinks I am. I've grown up without friends or a stable family and never truly learned the warmth and comfort of hug… until she hugged me._

The water started to change its temperature. Sheldon opened his eyes and noticed the change. He turned the shower off.

_There's no meaning in taking a shower when the water won't settle on a stable temperature. I should get out. Bed time. _

As he got out of the tub he saw his reflection in the mirror again. He noticed that the redness of most of the hickeys reduced in color. He bit his lips and blushed. Something about hickeys made him happy and aroused. Sheldon struggled to admit it, but he liked how it looked on his neck. They were a reminder of the time Amy came onto him.

_Amy marked territory on me._

**A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 5! The next chapter will be up hopefully soon. Sorry about the delay, I had to deal with prom, graduation, and laziness last week. But I'm back now! I got some juicy ideas from my own prom and hoping to incorporate it to this story *grin*.**

**I would like to thank inwhatuniverse for helping! She's so awesome go check out her Shamy fanfiction "The Engaging Driver"! **


	6. Chapter 6

**The Cognitive Dissonance Theory**

**********Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** or any of its varied characters. **_**The Big Bang Theory**_** is a copyright of Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady.**

**Chapter 6**

"Alright, the patient has been showing signs of symptoms over the course of the treatment. Brain wave seems normal, no abnormal signs."

A monkey was sound asleep on the table with wires attached to its head. Amy was constantly checking the computer. The room was dead silent and only two light bulbs were powered. Besides Amy, there were six other scientists all circled around the table, hoping for the test result to show up positive. Amy was the leader on the project and definitely felt the pressure that was put on her. The team was seeing their result for the first time since they started the research.

"It's been almost three years since the cut down of nicotine dosage. Our hypothesis was that this patient would be nicotine free after feeding him drug #3 but I guess we… I was wrong. We should keep a close eye on Ricky." Amy was frustrated and exhausted. Her nicotine addiction research ended with a disappointment.

For three years, she hoped Ricky to be nicotine free someday but the result from today's test betrayed her. Every drug they used on Ricky hadn't shown any positive results, just bad side effects.

"Okay I think that's all for today. Maybe we should come back to it next week."

Everyone heard the stress and exhaustion in Amy's voice. They all had been in the lab since the day afternoon of the prior day and it was already five o'clock. Everyone had been working in the lab for almost 24-hours so they were all itching to go outside and breathe fresh air for the first time since yesterday. The team took off their lab coats, grabbed their jackets, and left the room as quickly as possible. "Good night Dr. Fowler". Amy gave them smile and they all went off. She was the last one to leave because she had to finish writing the report.

"Okay almost finished, enter, save, done!" She immediately threw away her lab coat and grabbed her purse.

_Alright, today was a bad day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better._

Over many years of being a researcher, Amy learned how to cope with stressful times in the lab. Her method was to keep herself motivated and positive. It's one of the things that many of her colleague and students admired about Amy besides the fact that she was the smartest neurobiologist in the university.

Amy checked her phone for the first time since this morning. There were more than ten text messages from Bernadette and Penny. Most of the texts were telling her to come over to Penny's apartment for a Girl's Night.

"Hey Ames! Come over! Thursday night is the Girl's Night!"

_I guess I could use some fun. And I also need an advice from them… I feel like a teen heartthrob._

Amy's face darkened. Yesterday morning when she woke up she had told herself to not think about the incident from the day before at Sheldon's office. Her coworkers wanted her concentrated and focused on the research so she bottled up all her doubts. But now that work was done for the day, she relaxed and let her conscious wonder.

_Nope, not going to get myself down. Sheldon and I just need to talk that's all. But first, I need some girl talk. I need to bitch about Alex more. Why couldn't this happen when I was in high school, I had more time and energy back then. _Amy pondered.

Amy locked the door. She turned around and started walking down the hallway. As soon as she turned around, the bright light hit her eyes. It seemed like ages since she last saw such brightness.

_Man, I need to get out and see the sun more. I spend too much time in a basement-like lab._

* * *

"Does this suit make me look fat?" Raj said while checking himself out on a mirror, making all kinds of poses; turning around many times to check on his bum.

"Will you quit it? You look fine." Howard told him.

It was Raj's fifteenth time trying out suits and now all the guys were getting tired of hearing Raj whine about his body figure.

"I don't feel confident with myself. I'm very self-conscious. I shouldn't have eaten that last piece of chocolate cake last night. Why did I eat it all?" Raj was nearly in tears like a moody girl.

Howard rolled his eyes and with sarcasm said, "Fine, I'll take you to a gay bar later so that you could gain your confidence. Let's see how many men will hit on you!"

Raj was a little hesitant at first but then he said, "Okay!" Raj smiled. Howard couldn't believe how oblivious Raj was.

Leonard and Sheldon both were ignoring Howard and Raj. Leonard was getting his arms, chest, and legs measured with a tape. Sheldon was looking around the store gazing at all the possible suits he could pick and wear.

"So what color did Alex tell you to wear again?" asked Leonard. Sheldon took a moment before answering the question, still acted like he was looking at suits.

"She said I have to wear a blue neck tie and a vest. Hmm, how about this one." Sheldon picked up a simple classy blue pre-tied bowtie and tried on looking at the mirror.

"Blue huh, never thought that Alex is a genuine and sincere type of girl." Leonard was surprised. All this time, he thought Alex was more of an aggressive attacker because of the way she came on to him.

For a second, Leonard was lost in his thought. The store manager finished measuring his arms and went off to fetch his suits. Leonard looked around the store; he saw that Sheldon was struggling to keep the bowtie straight, Raj still checking himself out, and Howard buttoning his shirt.

"Hey it's like Howard's wedding was yesterday!" Leonard uttered.

"To me it feels like centuries ago." Howard's voice had a slight embarrassment. "Bernadette hid my X-Box again this morning. It's been…" Howard checked his wrist watch. "… exactly 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 48 seconds since I last saw my baby."

"What did you do this time?" Leonard queried.

"I accidentally washed her dress for the dance. In my defense, she told me to do laundry and the dress was on the machine so I thought…"

"Dude, you never wash a dress with a washing machine, everyone knows that." Raj intervened giving him a pity look.

"Yeah, every GIRL." Howard paced around the store nervously and decided to call Bernadette to apologize. He walked outside the store so that the guys won't hear him, but they were still able to overhear him on the phone with Bernadette.

"Hey Bernie, I know you're still mad about the dress. I'm really… yes I know. I love you. I can't live without you but I can't live without X-Box too… oh come on!"

Raj shook his head disappointed and ashamed of his friend. Because the guys could still hear Howard complaining, Raj changed the subject, "So Sheldon, have you realized that Kripke has been badmouthing about you?"

"Not that I know of. He must've reached an impasse on his research. I'm not surprised. I can understand what he's going through. Actually, never mind I don't. I can complete his research in a matter of seconds."

Leonard noticed that Sheldon wasn't getting what Kripke was badmouthing about. He interjected, "No, he's not talking about work. He's talking about Amy."

Sheldon was confused. He looked at Leonard, "What about Amy?"

"He was telling us that he finally has a date to the dance. Apparently he asked Amy to the dance and she said yes." Leonard started to get worried for his friend. He knew that if he was in Sheldon's situation, he wouldn't be able to take it.

Sheldon was no doubt surprised. He'd never thought anyone would ask Amy to the dance. Not because she isn't a suitable date for anyone. He genuinely never thought about anyone taking Amy as a date.

"Are you okay with that?" Leonard carefully asked.

Sheldon avoided Leonard's gaze and turned back around to look at the mirror. He pretended as though he was still fixing the bowtie even though it was already perfect.

"Well?... Aren't you a little concerned, he took your girlfriend!" Raj pushed for answers but Leonard gave him a glare, told him to back-off and give Sheldon some space.

"I guess I was wrong. It's not my place to say anything about her choice. I decided to go with Alex and she decided to go with Kripke. I don't have to be bothered with relationship protocol at the dance. She gets to go to the dance with Penny and Bernadette. It makes perfect sense."

"I give up. I don't get you two." Leonard dropped his arms disappointedly.

"I don't expect anyone to understand us." Sheldon was offended by Leonard's reaction.

The guys stopped talking and listened to Howard's conversation once more. Sheldon heard Leonard's sigh. He didn't understand why Leonard was concerned about him. He untied the blue bowtie now that he knows it fits. There were more choices of bowties on the table.

_So many choices, but why are most of these in one solid color…_

Sheldon shook his head.

_Black, white, yellow, purple, blue, green, and red… Red, I like red. Makes me look like Flash._

* * *

"Penny is this our last wine bottle? Cause we're out!" Amy shouted.

"Got wine." Penny grabbed three wine bottles from the kitchen.

"Wow, you're really stocked" said Bernadette while taking chips from the table.

"Well a girl needs to be prepared. Plus it was cheap." Penny sat back on her couch next to Bernadette and opened another bottle of wine.

"So what's the topic today?" Amy smiled excitedly. Penny poured wine in her glass and she took a sip.

"Okay Ames, I was hoping today we could talk to you about what's been going on with you."

Amy looked at Penny and noticed that her smile turned to a frown.

"What about me?"

"What's going on with you and Sheldon these days?"

"Here we go." Bernadette took a gulp of wine.

"Look Ames, Dr. Wackadoodle over there," Penny pointed at the door, "has been crankier than usual and that's been making Leonard and my life miserable. Today, he gave me two strikes. I love you sweetie but I don't plan on attending his class because of you. Now spill."

"Penny, his class is actually interesting. He explains about mechani…" before Amy could finish her sentence Penny gave her a glare. Amy took a deep breath, "Well, we recently kissed but it was different this time… more passionate. Or maybe it was just me devouring him like a wild animal." Amy's voice cracked, her cheek turned pink from the embarrassment.

Both Penny and Bernadette had a surprised look on their faces. They were expecting little physical contact but this was something new.

Bernadette broke the silence, "Oh my God! Did you guys even know what you guys were doing to each other? Did he know what you were doing? Did you?" She was worried and confused trying to make sure it happened.

"I'm pretty sure, Bernadette. But I don't think Sheldon was with me on this." Amy wished she could smile and tell them that the kiss was passionate for the first time and it was the best thing that has ever happened to her relationship with Sheldon but she was only able to shrug.

"Okay okay, so what happened next?" Penny was shaking with excitement.

"It didn't go as I wanted it to go… I suggested him an experiment. It was going to test him to see if he's okay with me touching him. He told me that he has problems with millions of germs that surround people but I wasn't one."

"Oh my god! I'm so proud. That means he is okay with you touching him!" Penny's face lit up but Amy knew it wouldn't last long.

"Really? I find that hard to believe with every fiber of my being since he bolted out of the room crying after things got out of hand." Amy stared at Penny.

"Like a little boy…" Penny sighed, disappointed.

Penny saw the sadness that clouded Amy's face. She knew that Amy was going through the toughest challenge in her relationship with Sheldon. "Come on Ames, drink up. We're going to celebrate."

Amy looked up, "Celebrate what?"

"Celebrate you and Sheldon for finally taking a step forward." Penny took a sip.

"I don't know Penny. It seems like we took a step forward but took two steps back."

"Why? Didn't you finally get to the point where your boyfriend got a stiffy because of you?"

"A stiffy?" Amy confused.

"Yup. Down there" Penny pointed down to her crotch.

"Oh yeah, that was surreal." That brought smile back on Amy's face.

Penny looked at Bernadette, "Alright, pay up." held her hand out.

Bernadette was disgusted that she lost her bet "Ugh!"

"What! You guys put a bet on us?" Amy was offended.

She watched Bernadette grab her wallet and give Penny twenty dollars.

_Penny is in a somewhat stable relationship with Leonard, Bernadette is married to Howard, and I'm in a so called "relationship" with Sheldon Cooper… I really should've gotten a lawyer for that Relationship Agreement._

"Ames, why aren't you drinkin'?" Penny's words were now slipping. Intoxicated Penny was loud and obnoxious.

Amy had her head down again staring at her glass of wine. "I don't feel like partying anymore."

"Why not?" Bernadette looked back at Amy, surprised that she wasn't in the mood to party like usual.

"It's just that… I think I did something I shouldn't have done." Amy bit her lip and looked at Penny and Bernadette.

"What did you do?"

Amy looked straight at Penny, straightened her skirt to get ready for a serious talk. "Kripke asked me to the dance two days ago."

"Shut up! Oh my God!" Penny's eyes bulged open, surprised.

Amy tried not to meet their gaze.

"What did you say?" asked Bernadette.

"Before I tell you this. Please don't judge me until I finish my reasoning." Amy looked them in their eyes.

"We won't" They both nodded in unison.

"Two days ago I visited Sheldon and on my back, I met Kripke and he asked me to the dance. At first I was so shocked that I didn't know what to say. Obviously, my first notion was to say no. But after thinking more thoroughly I came to a conclusion that I should to go to the ball with him. Not because of anything with Sheldon, but seeing you guys talk about which dresses to try and what kind of makeups to put on for the ball, kind of made me want to be part of it. It's one of the thing I missed when I was in high school; girl talks about dresses, makeups, and dates."

Penny stood up and sat next to Amy. "Oh Amy, I'm sorry we made you feel like that. We didn't mean to hurt you." She put her hand on Amy's lap. When Penny was drunk, she was also emotional.

"So, did you say yes?" Bernadette was curious. They both sat at the edge of the couch.

Amy shrugged. "What can I say, I want to experience school dance once more. My junior prom was a disaster, never again."

"Are you going to tell Sheldon about this?" Penny started to worry about her friend's relationship. It was not an everyday thing that Sheldon and Amy got into relationship problem.

"Penny, he asked Alex to the dance." Amy gave the look to Penny.

"You got a point there." Penny raised her glass and gulped her wine.

"Alright, I still don't like the idea of you going to the dance with Kripke but that knuckle head Sheldon asked for it. Ames, if you think going to the dance with Kripke will make you happy, I won't stop you. Just make sure you talk to Sheldon." Penny poured more wine to Amy's glass even though it was already half full.

"Okay so does this mean that all three of us are going to the dance?" Bernadette grew excited.  
"Yup! Tomorrow we'll go shopping for dresses and schedule everything with salon. It's gonna be fun girls!" Penny raised her glass and so did the girls.

"Here's to us!" For the first time today Penny, Bernadette, and Amy were all smiling and enjoying each other's company.

Bernadette stopped drinking halfway and placed her glass back on the table, "So Penny, do you have a dress in your mind?"

"Hmm, I usually go for pink or black but for this ball I was thinking gold?"

"Ohh I can see it." Both Bernadette and Amy nodded in agreement.

"How about you?" Penn asked Bernadette.

"Oh I don't know, Howie ruined my high school prom dress so I have to buy a new one. I'm thinking about wearing purple this time."

"Purple huh, it suits you Bernadette. How about you Amy?" Both Penny and Bernadette turned attention to Amy.

"Oh, I don't know. I've never thought about it. What color do you will look good on me?"

In unison, Penny and Bernadette said, "Red".

* * *

"You sure you want to go home? You can stay at my place tonight." After a long chit chat about dresses and makeup, Girl's Night came to an end. Penny opened the door for Amy.

"No not today. I really want to lay down on my bed tonight. Thank you for the amazing Girl's Night. See you tomorrow!"

Penny smiled and told her to drive carefully on her way back.

After the door closed, Amy found herself in the familiar hallway between Penny and Sheldon's apartment.

_I wonder if he's home._

Amy walked towards Sheldon's apartment door. She looked down to see that the light of the living room was still on. She guessed that both guys were still awake. It was Thursday, that meant that boys were enjoying their Anything Can Happen Thursday night. Amy brought her hand up to knock on the door.

_I guess I should tell him… I should tell him right?_

Amy was determined to talk to him since last night but something stopped her. She stood in front of the door for a good minute thinking through every possible outcome if she saw him now. She lowered her hand slowly.

Quietly Amy whispered to the door, "See you at the dance Sheldon."

Without any second thought, Amy walked down the stairs.

**A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 6 of The Cognitive Dissonance Theory! Hope you stick around for the next chapter because the next chapter will be the day of the dance! "Ohhhh" hey back me up here ;) Anyways, please leave a review. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, or what you want to see at the dance!**

**Special thanks to inwhatuniverse!**

**Oh and what do you think about my color choice? Purple for Howardette, Gold for Lenny, and Red for Shamy. Let me know!**


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